Illuminated sign.



PATENTED JUNE 5, 1906.

M. L. PELKIN. ILLUMINATED SIGN. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 30 1904.

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MARIO L. FELKIN, or

WINTHROP. MASSACHUSETTS.

ILLUMINATED SIGN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 5, 1906.

Application filed Sep mber so. 1204. semi No. 226,629.

To aZZ whom/it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARIO L. FELKIN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of Winthrop, folk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Im rovements in Illuminated Signs, of which t e following is a specification. Y

My invention relates to illuminated signs; and its object is to produce a si 11 of this class which will present to the eye t e appearance of having a raised character, the result being unique and attractive and so far as I am aware a novelty in the art of sign-making.

It has been usual heretofore to'make signs comprising a light-inclosing box having an opaque front wallprovided with letter-openings either uncovered or covered with onepiece panes of transparent or translucent material but such signs present a flat or plain appearance. It has also been usual in signs not of the illuminated class to employ solid raised characters mounted upon a board; but so far as I am aware no construction has heretofore been devised by which an illuminated sign has successfully produced the impression upon theeye of a raised letter of transparent or translucent material.

It is the object of my invention to provide a Sign having araised letter or letters having the appearance of being raised, said letter being made practically all of transparent or translucent material and so constructed that when illuminated at night, for instance, the letters will be clearly outlined and there will be no confusion between the sides and face thereof.

The letters or characters of my improved sign each consists of two or more sets of glass pieces all joined together by lead strips, one

set being of one color or shade and forming the face of the letter, while the other set or sets are of a contrasting color or shade to form the sides of the letter. In some. cases the set forming the sides of the letters will be graded in shade or color, one part being lighter than the other part, so to give a light-and-shade effect; but in all cases, whether the letter be, in fact, a raised letter or a flat letter, the sideforming set is differentiated by color or shade from the face-forming set, and the effect is always that of a raised letter, there being therefore no confusionbetween the side set and the face set.

I do not claim as my invention the mere substitution of stained leaded glass for the plain glass panes heretofore used; but I do in the county of Suf said side pieces, although claim as wholly new with me and as my invention the use of a stained leaded glass pane comprising two or more sets of pieces, one forming the face of the letter and another forming the sides of the letter, the sets being of different color or shade, so that whether the letter is, in fact, raised when the sign is illuminated from the rear is that of a raised letter wherein the sides are distinct from the face of the letter and confusion between the sides and face is avoided. Other features of my invention are hereinafter pointed out.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 1s afront elevation of aportion of asign embodying one form of my invention. Fig. 2 is a section on line 2 2 ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 shows a modification. Figs. 4 and 5 show my invention I embodied in a raised letter.

Having reference to the drawings, A represents a portion of an oblong box coated or lined upon its interior with a reflecting material and within which are arranged lights a" The box A is made with a sheet-metal front a, cut away at intervals throughout its length to provide letter-openings, one of which is shown at a In Figs. 1 and 2 this opening is shown as covered by a flat transparent or translucent pane B, made up of a multi licity of pieces of glass 1) and b ,jo1ned by lea strips b, the strips b which border the edges of the opening 0/, being soldered to the outer face of the sheet-metal front a. The set of'stainedglass pieces I) constitutes the face of the letter, and these pieces are different in color or shade from the set of stained-glass pieces I), which constitute the sides of the letter, and in the same plane with the pieces I) represent or form the sides as they would appear in perspective, so that when the lights a are in operation the pieces b have an elevating effect u on the face of the letter, with a truly brilllant and hand some display as the result.

In Fig. 3 the side pieces 1) border all sides of the face I) and are preferably graded in shade, as indicated, to produce a light-andshade effect, thus giving to the letter the apearance of being raised and as having beveled sides.

In Figs. 4 and 5 the o by a raised letter-sha e structure made up of face-pieces b as be ore; but the side pieces 5 although different in shade or color from face-pieces b as in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, are perpendicular to the face-pieces. This structure ening a is covered or flat the effect,

is-fastened to the front a, as before, by solder. ThlS form of my invention, especially when the glass ieces are translucent, produces an exceeding y brillant eflectthat is, the lead strlps in practice are not visible or only visible upon closeinspection, and the effect at night when the lights a are in operation is that of a glowing raised letter made entirely of translucent material. This effect is due in great measure to the differentiation in shade or color between the faceieces and side ieces, because if made all 0 one shade or al of one color the sides of the letter would confuse with the face, particularly when viewed more or less from the side of the letter. It will also be observed that the difierentiation of color will give the characters the appearance of being raised even when the sign is not illuminated, thus affording a handsome sign by day, which cannot be said of all illuminated signs but the principal object of the invention is to produce the raised appearance when the sign is illuminated.

Although I have referred to strips of lead as the means employed for cementing the glass pieces together, it will be obvious that any suitable material, such as cement, may be used instead, or lead may be used at some of the 'oints and cement at others when it is desired to bring out certain lines of junction more prominently than others.

' hat I claim is- 1. An illuminated sign having letters .consistin each of two sets of glass pieces all joined together by lead strips or the like, one set being of one color or shade and form ing the face of the letter or character, and the ot er set bein of a contrasting color or shade and forming t e sides of the letter or character and the effect of the whole being to roduce the appearance of a raised letter or c aracter wherein the face and sides are distinguishable one from the other.

2. An illuminated si n comprising a lightinclosing box having aront wall made with letter or character 0 enings, and letters or characters closing said openings each consist- I ing of two sets of glass pieces all joined together by lead strips or the like, one setbeing of one color or shade and forming the face of the letter or character, the other set being of a contrasting color or shade and forming the sides of the letter or character, and the effect of the whole being to produce a raised letter or character wherein the face and sides are distin uishable one from the other.

3. illuminated sign comprising a lightinclosing boX having a front wall of sheet metal made with letter or character .0 enings and letters or characters closing sai open ings, eachconsisting of two sets 0 glass pieces all joined to ether by lead strips or the like whereof the borderin strip is secured to the sheet-metal front wal around the opening, one of said sets being of one color orshade and forming the face of the letter or character, the other set being of a contrasting color and forming the sides of the letter or character, and the effect of the whole being to produce a raised letter or character wherein the face' and sides are distinguishable one from the other.

4. An illuminated sign comprising a lightinclosing box having a front wall of sheet metal made with letter or character openings, and flat letters or characters closing said openings, each consisting of two sets ofstainedg ass pleces all joined to ether ed e to edge in the same plane b lea stri s w ereof the borderin strip is soldered to t e sheet-metal front wal around the opening, one set being of one color and forming the face of the letter or character the other set being of a contrasting color and forming the sides of the letter or character and the effect of the whole being to produce a raised letter or character wherein the face and sides are distinguishable, one

from the other.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts, this 27th day of September, 1904.

MARIO L. FELKIN. Witnesses:

ROBERT CUsHMAN, ARTHUR F. RANDALL. 

